Town of Clarenville Water and Sewer Regulations

Clarenville, Newfoundland and Labrador

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1997 Policy Manual Section II Subsection I 1 WATER & SEWER REGULATIONS Published by Authority The following regulations have been made by the Town Council of Clarenville under the provisions of the Municipalities Act, 1990 and were approved by Council on the day of A.D. 1997. Mayor Town Clerk 1. "Interpretations": In these regulations unless the context otherwise requires: (a) "Act" means the Municipalities Act, Chapter M-23, 1990. (b) "Town" means the Town of Clarenville as defined by Paragraph 2 of the Order in Council dated the 12th day of June, A.D. 1951 and made under the provisions of the Municipalities Act, 1979. (c) "Council" means the Town Council of the Town of Clarenville. (d) "System" means the public water and sewerage system of the Town Council of Clarenville as the owner and operator of the plant and equipment for the production, transmission, delivery or furnishing of water to or for the public, and for the conveyance and disposal of sewage. (e) "Customer" means any person, firm or corporation who or which contracts to be supplied with water or the disposal of sewage into the system. 1997 Policy Manual Section II Subsection I 2 (f) "Domestic Service" means the type of service supplied to the owner or his authorized agent or to the occupant or tenant of any space or area occupied for the distinct purpose of a dwelling house, rooming house, apartment or flat. (g) "Commercial Service" means any service other than domestic herein defined. (h) "Town Public Works Superintendent" means the person appointed as such by Council. (i) "Water Plant Supervisor" means the person appointed as such by Council. (j) "Town Manager and/or Town Clerk" means the person or persons appointed as such by Council. 2. "Application for Service": Council shall, before rendering service, require a regular application form signed by the prospective customer. 3. "Payment of Bills": Bills for water and sewer rates shall be rendered to each customer annually, provided however in the case of metered services, bills may be rendered monthly. All bills not paid as stated in billing shall be considered in arrears. 4. "Adjustment of Bills": If the seal of a meter is broken or if a meter does not register correctly, the bill for that service shall be estimated in accordance with the last registered meter reading. Any customer desiring to question his bill must do so in writing within ten (10) days of receiving his bill. 5. "Estimated Readings for Billing Purposes": If Council is unable to obtain a meter reading for billing purposes after exercising due diligence in the usual practice of meter reading, the bill for that service shall be estimated in accordance with the last registered reading; subject, however to the provision that in no circumstance shall an estimated reading be used for more than twelve (12) consecutive billing periods. If any estimated bill is rendered for more than twelve (12) consecutive billing periods Council shall notify the customer by registered mail that arrangements must be made to obtain a reading and failing such arrangements, service may be suspended until a meter reading has been obtained. When such reading is obtained the previous estimated bill or bills shall be adjusted accordingly. 1997 Policy Manual Section II Subsection I 3 6. "Installation and Removal of Meters": Meters shall be installed and removed only by representatives of Council and no other person shall install, alter, repair, change or remove a meter without the written permission of Council. The cost of the meter and installation shall be the responsibility of the property owner and must be paid in full before services are turned on to the building. 7. "Access to Customer Premises": Representatives of Council shall have the right of access to all parts of a customers property or premises at all reasonable hours for the purpose of inspecting any water or sewer pipes, fittings, appliances, or for the purpose of installing, removing, repairing, reading or inspecting meters. Council shall have the right to suspend service to any customer who refuses such access. 8. "Discontinuance of Service for Non Payment of Rates or Taxes": Council may discontinue service from the system to any owner of a building or premises or part thereof who fails to pay on the due date any rates or taxes payable by him/her under the Act. A reconnection fee of one hundred dollars ($100) plus all taxes including current must be paid before services are reinstated. 9. "Location of Meters": Council shall have the right to refuse service to, or suspend the service of, any customer who does not provide a place which in the opinion of Council is suitable for a meter. It should be in the building served, at or near the point of entry of the service pipe, in a place where it can be easily read and where it will not be exposed to freezing temperatures. Where the premises of a customer are such in nature that a meter cannot be properly installed in a building or if the building is not sufficiently frost proof as to guarantee the safety of the meter, Council may order construction of a suitable frost-proof box in which the meter can be installed. The cost of this box shall be the customers responsibility. Services to such premises may be refused or suspended until such time as a frost-proof box approved by Council is installed. 10. "Damage to Water Meters": Each customer shall be responsible for the meter installed in his service line and shall protect it. The customer shall be responsible for any damage to the meter resulting from carelessness, hot water, steam, the action of frost or from any other cause not the fault of the Council or its employees. The cost to Council occasioned by such damage to the meter shall be paid by the customer. If after the rendering of a bill by Council to the customer for such cost, the same is not paid within the time specified in Section 3, the supply of water to the Customer concerned may be suspended until all charges are paid in full. 1997 Policy Manual Section II Subsection I 4 11. "Meter Testing": Upon receipt of a written request by a customer to have the meter tested, Council will remove the said meter and have it tested by the manufacturers representative. If the test shows the meter to be over registering by more than four per cent (4%) Council shall pay the cost of removal, testing and installation of a new meter. If the test shows the meter to be accurate within four per cent (4%), the customer shall be responsible for all costs incurred in the removal, transportation, testing and reinstallation of the said meter. 12. "New Connections Water and Sewer": Council shall be responsible for the connection of domestic or commercial water and sewer services to its system and for bringing the laterals to the right of way of the road. The total cost of materials and installation shall be the responsibility of the customer. All costs incurred must be paid in full before services are activated. 13. "Cutting of Pavement": Where the installation of any water or sewer service requires the cutting of pavement the cost of repairing or replacing the pavement shall be borne by the customer. Cost shall be determined on a square meter basis. 14. (a) "Service Shut Off": Any customer wishing to be disconnected or shut off from the system must make a written request to have the water turned off. (b) "Reconnection": Any customer requesting the water be reconnected or turned on to the system shall pay a fifty dollar ($50) reconnection fee in addition to all arrears of water and sewer rates and taxes. This reconnection fee shall not apply to service lines shut off temporarily in order for the customer to make repairs to his own line. 15. (a) "Exemptions and Reductions of Water and Sewer Fees": Any customer who has a second family member occupying a portion of his dwelling where no rent is received, and is serviced by a single service line, shall not be required to pay a water and sewer fee on behalf of that person or family. The customer will be required to sign an affidavit to the effect that no rent is being received. (b) Any customer who requests to have service discontinued from the system shall be charged fifty per cent (50%) of the prevailing rates for the period the service is disconnected. (c) Vacant land with a road frontage on a serviced street will be charged fifty per cent (50%) of the prevailing rates of the water and sewer fees. 1997 Policy Manual Section II Subsection I 5 16. "Cross Connections Prohibited": Connection of any customers installation served by the system to any other source of water supply is prohibited. Any other source of supply must be disconnected before the Town supply is turned on. A valve for insolating an existing source from the Town supply is not satisfactory. An air gap must exist to prevent back- siphonage of an existing supply into the Town mains. 17. "Dangerous Connections": No connection shall be permitted to any hot water furnace, washing machine, laundry tub, sink or any other equipment or source in such a manner as may allow any contamination to pass from such installation, equipment, or source into the system. If any such connection exists an AWWA approved Backflow Prevention device must be installed and the type of device shall depend upon the degree of hazard involved. If any such connection exists without an approved Backflow Prevention device then Council may discontinue the supply of water to that customer. 18. "Unauthorized Extensions, Additions or Connections": No person shall without the written consent of Council make or cause to be made any connections to any pipe or main or part of the water or sewer system or in any way obtain or use water therefrom in any manner other than as set out in these regulations. 19. "Additional Connection": Any customer requiring an additional or larger service will be required to pay the full cost of materials and installation as stipulated in Section 12. 20. (a) "Improper Use or Waste of Water": No customer shall permit the improper use or waste of water nor shall he sell or give away water to any person except upon such conditions and for such purposes as may be approved in writing by Council. (b) No person shall use water from the Town system for lawn or garden irrigation by the use of sprinklers or other continuous flow devices, for more than four (4) hours duration in any twenty four (24) hour period. Any customer failing to abide by this regulation shall be notified in writing that they may have service discontinued subject to Section 14 paragraph b. 21. "Interference With the System": No person unless authorized by Council, shall draw water from, open, close, cut, break, obstruct free access to, or in any way injure or interfere with any fire hydrant, water main, water pipe, sewer pipe, stop cock, valve or any other part of the system provided, however, that nothing contained in these regulations shall be deemed to prevent an officer or member of the Fire Department or Town Employee when engaged in the work of such department, from using any hydrant or any part of the system. 1997 Policy Manual Section II Subsection I 6 22. "Service Pipes": Upon receipt and approval of an application for service to any premises which are not already provided with water or sewer services, Council shall install, subject to Section 12, a service pipe which it considers to be of suitable size and capacity provided that: (a) All underground water service pipe shall be Type "K" soft copper with flared or compression fittings or Kytec with appropriate fittings. All Brass fittings shall be Red Brass suitable for underground use. (b) The minimum size of all water service lines shall be not less than 19 mm (3/4 in.) in diameter, or as directed by a Town Official. (c) All service pipes, water and sewer, outside the building shall be bedded in sand with a minimum of 150 mm (6 in.) below the pipe and 150 mm (6 in.) above the pipe. (d) A gate or ball valve shall be installed on the water service line at the point of entry in the building and shall be easily accessible. (e) A Pressure Reducing Valve shall be installed on the discharge side of, and next to the shut off valve. (f) A Vacuum Relief (anti syphon) and a Pressure Relief Valve shall be installed on all hot water heaters and any other pressure vessels. (g) All Radiation (Hot Water) Furnaces shall be equipped with an AWWA approved Backflow Prevention Device such as the Watts Series 9DM3/M2 or the Series 911 Combination Backflow Preventer and Hot Water Boiler Fill Valve or an approved equal. (h) No quick closing valve may be used in any serviced building unless adequate protection against water hammer is provided. (i) No water or sewer installation or part thereof shall be covered in or hidden from sight until it has been inspected by a Town Official. (j) Council shall not install any underground service pipes between November 15th in one year and April 15th of the following year. 23. "Location of Service Pipes": Where a service pipe has been installed without objection from the customer as to location of same, no subsequent removal or alteration to the position of the pipe shall be made except at the expense of the customer requesting such removal or alteration. Where a customer has a sewage disposal other than the Town System, approval of such disposal must be obtained from the appropriate Provincial Government Department before the Town water is connected. 1997 Policy Manual Section II Subsection I 7 24. "Repairs to Service" (a) "Leak or Freeze Up": If a leak or freezing or other problem occurs in a water or sewer service pipe it shall be repaired as soon as possible at the customer expense. Should the freeze up occur between the boundary and the main line it will be repaired by Council at Council's expense. Location of freezing to be determined by a Council representative. (b) "Curb Stop Protection & Repair": Property Owners are responsible for the protection of their curb stops from damage. If a curb stop is damaged by the property owner or persons hired by the property owner and has to be repaired by the Town employees, all cost for labour and materials will be bill to the property owner including excavation and backfilling. This policy is to cover unnecessary damage and not curb stops that have deteriorated with time. Public Works Department Staff are willing to locate any curb stop that is not visible. 25. "Sewer Lines": (a) All underground sewer pipe shall be PVC SDR-35 or PVC SDR-28 or as approved by Council. (b) All residential service lines shall be a minimum of 100 mm (4 in.) in diameter. (c) All sewer lines other than residential shall be of a size to be determined and approved by Council. (d) All buildings shall have a suitable clean out device installed in an easily accessible location inside the building. (e) Backflow Prevention valves shall be installed on all sewer service lines within the Town. The Council shall not accept responsibility for any damage caused by the backup of sewage. (f) No basement floor drains, weeping tile or roof drains shall be connected to the sanitary sewer. They shall be connected to a storm sewer, rock well or ditch. 26. "Liability of Town": Council shall not guarantee an uninterrupted water supply or a sufficient or uniform pressure and shall not be liable for any damage or injury caused or done by reason of the interruption of supply, variation of pressure on an account of the turning off or turning on of the water for any reason. 1997 Policy Manual Section II Subsection I 8 Adopted: August 18, 1997 Motion No: 97-111 Mayor Clerk